Safety gas cut-off.



G. llwimAcH.y SAFETY GAS cur-oFF. I' APPLICATION FILED AUG.23. 1915.

1 ,1 9 1 ,335 Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

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SAFETY GAS CUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.23. 1915.

1,191,335. Patented July 18, 1916.

W L' tnesses: i

GEORGE E. NEMBACH, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SAFETY GAS CUT-OFF.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 18, 1916,

i Application filed August 23,1915. Serial No. 46,869. i

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. NEMBACH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Gas Cut-OES, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic cut-offs for gaseous-fuel burners; and its object is to automatically cut oftl the supply of gaseous fuel from the burner, if the burner becomes extinguished from any cause other than cutting off the supply of fuel.

My invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details of construction and arrangement' of parts as will herein be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a. water heater provided with a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, enlarged, of the device,

showing the parts in their positions after` the device has set itself; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in their positions after the device has automatically acted to close the gas cock; Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the various positions of the adjacent ends of the links and the dog; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the parts in the positions whichV they occupy immediately after the burner has been lighted and before,

the device has set for automatic Operation; and Fig. 6 shows a modification.

As shown herein, my invention involves the provision of a rod 1 extending in close proximity to the pilot burner 2, (Fig. 1), and adapted to control the operation of the device accordingly as-it expands or contracts under the influence of heat from the burner 2. In order that this rod may not be destroyed by the action of the heat, and at the same time be strongly under the in- {iuence thereof, it is run through an opening in the body of the burner 2 as shown. This rod 1 has one end adjustably fixed by means of nuts 1, in one end of a 'frame 3, that extends substantially'parallel to the rod 1 into the burner space of thejwater heater.v The main fuel supply pipe 4 s uppliesY the vgas to the main burner 5 of theV heater, and is controlled by the water actuated valve 6, above which a branch pipe 7 leads down to the pilot burner 2. My invention is especially adapted fory use with water heaters, where such a pilot burner is ordinarily employed, and which is liable to become extinguished and allow a flow of unlighted gas, which later is lighted with serious consequences.

Interposed in the main fuel supply pipe 4, above the branchV pipe 7, is the automatic cut-off valve 8, which comprises a valve member 9, inside a body 10, adapted to rest upon a seat 11 under the pressure of a coil spring 12 above it in a casing 13. This spring thus constitutes a closing means for the valve 8. Passing up through and guided by a suitable stuiiing box 14 in the bottom of the valve body 10 is a rod 15 that has a head 16 that may engage with a lug 17 on the lower` side of the valve member 9 and lift it from its'seat' 11. against the pressure of the coil spring 12. 'This rod 15 extends down through a transverse pin 18 fixed in the upper end 0f a rod 19, the rod 15 being adjustable longitudinally in its engagement with thepin 18 by means 0f nuts 20 `on the rod 15 above the pin 18.

A base plate `21`is mounted upright near the burner space of the heater, and it is on this 'that the frame 3 is mounted. A guide 22 stands out near the lower endV of the base :plate 21, and near the top of the base plate 21 is a guide'bracket 23. Y The rod 19 extends down into these and is' guided thereby. Be-

tween4 the lower side of the-bracket 23 and -a washer 24 and nut 25 on the rod 19, is a coil spring 26, which tends to pull the rod 19down, removing its support from the rod 15, and allowing the valve member 9 to seat Aunder the pressure of the spring 12.

A short distance above the lower end of the base plate 21 there extend out therefrom guides27 and tlirough the trip lever 29, thus forming a fulcrum for this trip lever. This pin 30 also extends outand forms a stationary fulcrum for thelower end of a link 31, the upper end of which is bifurcated to have members flanking the lower end of an upper link 82, these two links'being pivoted together by a pivot'g passingy through the bifurcations and the lower endypart of the link 32. A pin 34 pivots the` upper end part of the link 32 to the rod 19 a short distance below the transverse pin 18. Thusa toggle is formed. A stop 35 is provided for these on the base plate 21, so located that the links can be brought substantially into alinement, or slightly past alinement. This toggle and the rods19 and 15 thus constitute a resisting means to resist automatic closing of the valve 3. These toggle links 31 and 32 are so proportioned that when their pivot 33 is brought over against the stop past the alinement with the pivots 30 and 34 below and above, respectively, as shown in Fig. 2, these links will hold the rod 19 up and, consequently, hold up the rod 15 and raise the valve member 9 from its seat 11, allowing fuel to be supplied to the burners. But if these links 31 and 32 have their pivot pulled away Yfrom the base plate 21 in the other direction past the alinements with the pivots 30 and 34, as shown in Fig. 4, the coil spring 26 may act to pull down on the rod 19 and rod 15 and allow the valve member 9 to rest on its seat 11 as above described, thus constituting means to automatically continue the resistance-removing movement of the resisting means, once such a movement has been initiated. It is to cause this latter action of the toggle that 1 provide a. disengageable operative connection from the resisting means to the rod 1, comprising the trip lever 29 and main lever 28 with their lower ends below the guide bars 27 connected together by links 36 that Hank them, vwith pivots 37 and 33 passing through the links and through the levers; the main lever 23, fulerumed on a. pivot 39 in lugs 40 on the upper part of a guide plate 41 that is mounted on the base plate 21; the pin 42 passing through ends parts of the rod 1 that extend through the base -plate 21 and guide plate 41 and iiank the main' lever 28, this pin 42 also passing through the lever 28 and the dog 43 pivoted on the trip lever 29, near its upper end by means of a pin 44. @ne end of this dog 43 lies over toward the base plate 21. The lower side of this dog 43, some distance over from that end, has a shoulder 45 and is tapered from this shoulder 45 out to that' end. This dog 43, thus formed and mounted, is adapted to pass over alongside the upper end of the lower link 31 just below the pivot 33 that connects it to the upper link 32, and at this point there is provided on the lower link 31 a projection 46 for the shoulder 45 of the dog 43 to engage with after the tapered part near the end has passed up over the projection.

To hold the dog 43 down and insure that the shoulder 45 will engage with the projection 46, a spring 47 is xed in the trip lever v29 some distance below the dog` and extends up and curves out to and then back slightly around a pin 48 fixed in the dog a short distance inside the trip lever 29. This spring 47 is preferably made of a piece of wire and is so bent and held that a movement ot the inner end of the dog 43 either upward downward moves the spring over toward the base plate 21 by engagement or' the pin 43 with either of the curved parts, which more ments the spring is thus adapted to yieldably resist.

With the construction described as above, it will be understood that expansion ot the rod 1, pivoted as this rod is, very close to the fulerum of the main lever 2S, causes a swinging of the upper end of the trip lever 29 inward toward the base plate 21 and the engagement of the dog 43 with the projection 46, the spring 47 yieldably resisting as above described, whereupon the parts are in the position shown in F This occurs during the heating up of the pilot burner 2 ii? a short time after lighting, so that the device is thus set automatically, and docs not necessitate manually holding the parts in the operative position of Fig. 3 during the time the rod 1 heats suiliciently to hold them there. Then if the pilot burner 2 becomes extinguished, the rod 1, contracting, will cause an outward pull on the upper end ot' the trip lever 29 which, through the engagement o1 the shoulder or' the dog 43 with the projection 46, will pull the toggle links 31 and 32 out past the alined position, permitting` the coil spring 26 to 'act as hereinbeiore mentioned, thus allowing the valve member 9 to come down on its seat 11 and cut olf the supply o1"- fuel. The parts will then be in the positions indicated in Fig. When the pilot burner 2 is to be again lighted, it is necessary to push the links 31 and 32'in past their alined position al., as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Tn order that the projection 46 may not catch the shoulderl ot' the dog 43 during this operation, which, with the rod 1 contracted, would interfere with the further pushing inward or" the links 31 and 32, l prefer to provide the dog` 43 with a short arm 49 on its end out past its pivot 44, with which arm 49 the projection 46 will engage andthrow the inner end olf the dog up out oi the path or' this n'ojeo l" tion until this projection has passed the point where it may be obstructed by the shoulder 45, as indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 4. This arm 49 will be engaged bv the projection 4G when the toggle links move outward after having been starred by the pull of the dog 43 on contraction oli the rod, but the spring` 47 will yield to the dog, which will swing down enough to allow the projection to pass the arm.

The base plate 21, with the above described mechanism oarried thereon, may be mounted in any suitable position on the sine of the water heater, depending upon the rangement of the burners and of the pipes and cocks thereon; or upon any stove or furnace, and be made to act under the influence of the main burnerif a pilot burner is not used.

In the modification shown in F ig. (i, the

lle

rod la merely pushes against the main lever 28, so that the device is set and held in operative condition by expansion of the rod la. But when the rod la contracts, a fiat spring 50, with its upper end fixed tothe base plate 2l and its lower end bearing out against an upward extension of the main lever 28, provides the motive force to break the toggle and close the cut-off valve. Here it will be seen that the operative connection is disengageable at the rod l as well as at the resisting means.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe to control the supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, a member adjacent to said burner .adapted to expand and contract under influence of heat from said burner, closing means to automatically close said cut-oil valve, resisting` means distinct from said closing means, by which said closing means is resisted, means to automatically continue resistance-removing movement of the resisting means when such a movement has been initiated, and a disengageable operative connection from saidy member to said toggle links, whereby contraction of said member initiates said resistance-removing movement.

2. In an automatic safety cut-ofi", in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, a cut-oftl valve interposed in said pipe to control the supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, a member adjacent to said burner adapted to expand and contract under influence of heat from said burner, closing means to automatically close said cut-off valve, toggle links distinct from said closing means, by which said closing means is resisted, means to automatically continue resistance-removing movement of the toggle links when such a movement has been initiated, and a disengageable operative connection from said member to said toggle links, whereby contraction of said member initiates said resistance-removing movement.

3.. In an automatic safety cut-off, in coinbination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe to control the supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, a member adjacent to said burner adapted to expand and contract under influence of heat from said burner, closing means to automatically close said cut-off valve, toggle links, a pivotal connection between said links, a stationary fulcrum for one of said links, and an operative connection from the other link to said valve, whereby said toggle links resist said closing means and hold said valve open,

means to .automatically continue resistanceremoving movement of said toggle. links when such a movement has been initiated, and a disengageable operative connection from said member to said toggle links near their pivotal connection to each other, whereby said resistance-removing movementis initiated when said member contracts.

4. In .an automatic safety cut-ofi', in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe to control the supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, a member adjacent to said burner, adapted to expand and conlinks whereby they are actuated away fromv said stop in the'` other direction and out of said alinement to remove their resistance from said closing means when said member contracts.

5. In an automatic safety cut-olf, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-0E valve, toggle links, operative connection from said links to said valve, whereby said links, when in substantial alinement, hold lsaid Valve open, a member adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a trip lever, a projection on o-ne of said toggle links, a dog on said trip lever adapted to engage with said projection, and operative connection between said member and said trip lever, whereby said trip lever is swung to engage said dog with said projection when said member contracts, the engagement of said dog with said projection pulling said toggle links out of their substantial alinement and permitting said valve to close.

6. In an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe lever, means operatively connecting said' member and saidtrip lever, toggle links, a dog pivoted on said trip lever, adapted to engage with one of said links in one direction and yieldable to ride past said link in `another direction, an operative connection between said valve'and said toggle links,

said links being adapted to be brought into bination with a burner, afuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to auto- Y matically close said cut-off valve, a base, a

member extending from said base to the vicinity of said burner and adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a main lever pivoted to said member and fulcrumed on said base, a trip lever fulcrumed on said base, a link connecting` said main lever and said trip lever, toggle links pivoted together, one end of one of said links being pivoted on said base, a projection on one of said links near where they are pivoted together, a dog Vpivoted on said trip lever, adapted to engage with said projection in one direction, and yieldable to ride past said projection in another direction, a rod guided on said base, slidably operatively connected to said valve and pivotally connected to the other end of the other one of said toggle links, said links being adapted to be brought into substantial alinement to hold said valve open, and a spring acting upon said rod to allow said valve to close when said toggle links are brought out of said alinement by contraction of said member.

8. 1n an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-off valve, a member adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a trip lever, means operatively connecting said member and said trip lever, toggle links pivoted together, a proj eetionon one of said links near where they are pivoted together, a dog pivoted on said trip lever and having a shoulder adapted to engage with said projection in one direction, and having a tapered terminal part adapted to ride over said projection in another direction, and being yieldably held toward said projection as it rides over it or engages with it, an operative connection between said valve and the other one of said toggle links, said links being adapted to be brought into substantial alinement to hold said valve open, and a spring acting upon said operative connection to allow said valve to close when said toggle links are brought out of said alinement by contraction of said member. y

9. In an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-olf valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-off valve, a base plate, a member extending from said base plate to the vicinity of said burner and adapted to expand and contract under the iniuence of heat from said burner, a main lever pivoted to said member, a fulcrum for this main lever on said base plate, a trip lever, a fulcrum for this trip lever on said base plate, a link connecting said main lever and said trip lever, toggle links, a pivot for one end of one of said links on said base plate, a projection on one of said links near where they are pivoted together, a dog pivoted on said trip lever and having a shoulder adapted to engage with said projection, and having a tapered terminal part adapted to ride over said projection, a spring yieldably holding said dog toward said projetL tion as it rides thereover or engages therewith, a rod, guides for said rod on said base plate, a slidable operative connection between said rod and said valve, pivotal connection between said rod and the other end of the other one of said toggle links, whereby when said links are in substantial alinement said rod holds said valve open, and a spring acting upon said rod to withdraw it from the support of said valve when said toggle links are brought out of their valveopening alinement, said member, in contracting, acting, through said main lever and said trip lever and the link connecting them, to ause the shoulder on said dog to engage with said projection and pull said toggle links out of their valve-opening alinement, and thereby allowing said valve to close, said toggle links being adapted to be manually brought into valve-opening` alinement, and said dog being automatically brought into position for rengagement of its shoulder' with said projection by riding over said projection, by the action through said main lever, said trip lever and the link connecting these levers, when said member expands.

10. 1n an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-olf valve, a member adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a trip lever, means operatively connecting said member and said trip lever, toggle links, a dog pivoted on said trip lever, adapted to engage with one of said links in one direction, and yieldable to ride past said link in another direction, an operative connection between said valve and said toggle links, said links being adapted to be manually brought into substantial alinement to hold said valve open, a spring acting upon said operative connec tion to allow said valve to close when said toggle links are brought out of said alinement by contraction of said member, said dog, when said toggle links are brought into said alinement, being 'automatically brought into position for rengagement.therewith when said member expands.

11. In an automatic safety cut-olf, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-0H' valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close ,said cut-off valve, a member adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a trip lever, means operatively connecting said member and said trip lever, toggle links, a dog pivoted on said trip lever, adapted to engage with one of said links in one direction, and yieldable to ride past said link in another direction, an operativeV connection between said valve and said toggle links,

said links being adapted to be manuallyv brought into substantial alinement to hold said valveV open, a spring acting upon said operative connection to allow said valve to close when said toggle links are brought out of ,said alinement by contraction of said member, said dog, when said toggle links are brought into said alinement, being automatically brought into position for rengagement with said link when said member expands, and throwing means to throw said dog out of the path of said link as said toggle links are brought into said alinement, said dog being adapted to yield and render said throwing means inoperative as said valve closes.

12, In an automatic safety cut-off, in com bination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-ofi' valve interposed 1n` said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-oft' valve, a member adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from said burner, a trip lever, means operatively connecting said member and said trip lever, toggle links pivoted together, a projection on one of said links near where they are pivoted together, a dog pivoted on said trip leverA and having a shoulder adapted to engage with said projection in one direction, and having a tapered terminal part adapted to ride over said projection in another direction, a spring yieldably holding said dog toward said projection as it rides over it or engages with it, an operative connection between said valve and the other one of said toggle links, said links being adapted to be brought into substantial alinement to hold said valve open, and a spring acting upon said operative connection to allow said valve to close when said toggle links are brought out of said alinement by contraction of said member, said dog when said toggle links are brought into said alinement, riding over said projection for reengagement of its shoulder therewith when said member expands, and an arm Yon said dog to be engaged by said projection and throw said shoulder out of the path o-f said projection as said toggle vlinks are brought into said alinement, said spring being also adapted to yield and allow said projection to pass said arm as said' valve closes.

13. In an automatic .safety cut-olf, in combination with a burner, a fuel supply pipe thereto, and a cut-off valve interposed in said pipe and controlling supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, means to automatically close said cut-off valve, a base plate, a member extending from said base plate to the vicinity of said burner and adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from .said burner, a main lever pivoted to `said member, a fulcrum for this main lever on said base plate, a trip lever, a fulcrum'for this trip lever on said base plate, a link connecting said vmain lever and said trip lever, toggle links, a pivot for one end of one of said links on said base plate, a proj ection on one ofy said links near where they are pivoted together, a dog pivoted on said trip lever and having a shoulder adapted to engage with said' projection, and having a tapered terminal part adapted to ride over said projection, a springyieldably holding said dog toward said projection as it rides thereover or engages therewith, a rod, guides for said rod on said base plate, a slidable operative connection between said rod and said valve, pivotal connection between said rod and the other end of the other one of said toggle links, whereby when said links are in substantial alinement said rod holds said valve open, and 'a spring acting upon said rod to withdraw it from the support of said valve-when said toggle links are brought out of theirvalve-opening alinement, said member, in contracting, acting, through said main lever and said trip lever and the link connecting them, to cause the shoulder on said dog to engage with said projection and pull said toggle links out of their valve-opening alinement, and thereby allowing said valve to close, said toggle links being adapted to be manually brought into valve-opening alinement, and said dog being automatically brought into position for rengagement of its shoulder with said projection by riding over said projection, by the action through said main lever, said trip lever and the link connecting these levers, when said member expands, and an arm on said dog to be engaged by said projection and throw said shoulder out of the path of said projection as said toggle links are manually brought into alinement, said spring also allowing said dog to yield and allow said projection to pass said arm as said valve closes.

14. In an automatic safety cut-off, in combination with a main burner7 a main fuel supply pipe thereto, a valve interposed in said main pipe to control the supply of fuel therethrough to said burner, a pilot burner adjacent t0 said main burner7 a fuel supply pipe communicating with said main pipe at a point on the side of said valve remote from said main burner and leading to said pilot burner to supply fuel thereto, a cut ofi valve interposed in said main pipe Von the side of lsaid pilot burner pipe remote from the main burner, a member adjacent to said pilot burner and adapted to expand and contract under the influence of heat from saidy pilot burner, means to automatically close said cut-ofi' valve, toggle links, and operative connection from said toggle links to said cut-off valve, whereby the valve is held open when the toggle links are in substantial alinement, and operative connection to said member adapted to pull said toggle links out of said alinement when said inemg ber contracts, and thereby `allow closing` ofA adjacent to said main burner, a fuel supply pipe communicating with said main pipe at a point on the side of said valve remote from said main burner and leading to said pilot burner to supply fuel thereto, a cut-o valve interposed in said main pipe on the side of said pilot burner pipe remote from. the main burner, a member ladjacent to said pilot burner and adapted to expand and conn tract Aunder the influence of heat from said pilot burner, means to automatically close said cut-olf valve, toggle links7 and operative connection from said toggle links to said cut-0E valve, whereby the valve is held open when the toggle links are in substantial alinement, and operative connection to said member adapted to pull said toggle links out of said alinement when said member contracts, and thereby allow closing of said valve, said toggle links being again brought into valve-opening alinement manually, means whereby said operative connection is made inoperative while said links are being brought back into said alinement, and means whereby said operative connection is again rendered operative when said member eX- pands.

' snonenn, NnMBAon.

1Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMSEY,

CLARENCE Pnnnnw.

Copies of this patent'may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

